One year after leading Inverness Caledonian Thistle to their greatest triumph, John Hughes has left the club.

His departure had been expected due to tensions over the player budget, and the split was confirmed last night, on the eve of the Scottish Cup final won by Caley Thistle last season.

“I will look back on my time at ICTFC and in the Highlands with a genuine fondness and warm affection for the club, the area and the community,” a Hughes statement said.

He signed a new contract on 1 December, which committed his future to the club until the summer of 2018, less than two months after Inverness refused Dundee United permission to speak to their manager.

But relations between boss and board became strained and Hughes claimed his budget for next season would be in the “bottom two in the league”.

A statement signed by the Inverness directors said: “All of us at ICTFC would like to take this opportunity to thank John for his contribution since joining us in 2013 and specifically his coaching skills and commitment, which helped deliver our successes, and in particular lifting the Scottish Cup for the first time as well as our first foray into Europe.”